Monday, November 26, 2007

High Profile Coaching Positions

There are some very interesting open head coaching jobs in NCAA division 1 football already this offseason. And we're not talking about mid-level programs. We're talking some really high profile jobs. In addition, there are a lot that are rumored to be on the verge of opening up. A list? Okay:

MichiganThis is arguably the highest profile of all the open jobs, and inarguably its the one on the minds of the writers of this blog. Many names have been floated out there as possibilities, including Les Miles, Kirk Ferentz, Brian Kelly, Jim Grobe, Chris Peterson, Mike Trgovac, and Wayne Fontes (just checking to see if you're paying attention). It's a good thing Jim Harbaugh took himself out of the running, because I'm sure he was really going to get a chance. I expect the decision to come before the bowl game.

NebraskaBill Callahan was rightfully fired after his team gave up an average of 50 points a game in their last four. Bo Pelini is probably considered the frontrunner, since lots of Nebraska fans thought this job should have been his the last time this job was open. Frank Solich isn't looking so bad anymore, is he Husker fans?

Texas A&MWow, that was quick. According to this article, Houston Texans assistant coach and former Packer head man Mike Sherman is about to be named head coach at A&M. He used to be an assistant in College Station. The NFL rout doesn't seem to work too often (Callahan), but you never know (Pete Carroll).

MississippiThe Oregeron didn't work out at Ole Miss, but I'm sure he'll be back on USC's staff before their bowl game. Ole Miss, while not exactly a plum position, is potentially a good job because Orgeron recruited a couple good classes there that his successor could benefit from. I would not be surprised to see a top assistant from another SEC school get this job.

UCLA (rumored)Karl Dorrell is not a favorite of the fans, and the season ending victory over USC last year may have been his "stay of execution," but a pathetic home loss to Notre Dame earlier this year may have sealed his fate. Rumors here in Texas have UCLA looking at Mike Leach, but they're just rumors.Syracuse (rumored by me)Okay, I have no idea if Syracuse is firing their coach, but what the hell happened to Syracuse? They used to be consistently good, and that was recently.

Am I missing any? Of course, more will open up after these big ones get filled, but these are the high-profile jobs that I could think of. And I didn't even include the really old guys who might retire (Paterno and Bowden). The addition of those two jobs to this list would really make this an offseason to remember. Let the games begin...

EDITED TO ADD:

Georgia TechChan Gailey was fired today. See comment about NFL guys not working out.

DukeNah, just kidding. There is nothing high-profile about this job. Their coach was 6-45, and that was probably as good as could be expected. The next guy will be worse, or at best marginally better.

Colorado StateSonny Lubick is negotiating a buyout. Unless you live in Colorado, this is not interesting. In fact, even if you live in Colorado, this is probably not interesting. However, he did lead CSU to some bowl games and had some solid teams (9 bowl games in 15 years at the helm).

ArkansasOkay, it's now being reported that Houston Nutt is out at Arkansas (and so, presumably would be his brother, an assistant with the Hogs). Pick your headline: Hogs De-Nutted; Hogs Cut Nutts; Hogs To Be Nutt-Less In '08. It's widely reported that Casey Dick is a bit concerned about his status as the Hogs QB, as the Nutts were Dick's biggest supporters.

Southern MississippiI have no idea who their coach is, but apparently he was there for a very long time. Your new coach? Offensive coordinator blah-blah or Brett Favre's dad will probably step up, as no one else really cares about Southern Miss.